Center-board for vessels



(No Model.)

B. J. DAVY.

CENTER BOARD FOR VES'SELS.

No. 390,070. Patented Sept. 2-5, 1888.

74/11/14 Frill/I14 l" .14

WITNESSES: INVENTOR: 90 BY QM A3 a ATTORNEY.

mamas. Pfiolo-Lilhogmphon Washington, 00c

I and O the well which opens through the botwell.

llNiTED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

EDMUND J. DAVY, OF MANOKIN, MARYLAND.

CENTER-BOARD FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 390,070, dated September25,1888,

Serial "No. 268,750. (No model.)

To LLZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND J. DAVY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Manokin, in the county of Somerset and State of Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Center-Boards forVessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of centerboards for sailingvessels, the object being to provide a constructionthat will obviate leeward movement when the vessel is under sail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is abottom or inverted plan of the boat. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same. Fig.3 is a cross-section of the vesselon the line 3 3, Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a cross section on thesameline,showing the center-board retained on a line with the keel bythe inverted-U-shaped bar.

The letter A designates the boat, 1) its keel,

tom and wherein the center-board D is pivoted. The well is narrow at itsafter end, 6, and broad at its forward end, f.- The two longitudinalsides of the well are oblique with respect to the line of the keel I).The front post, g,of the well has on its rear side a vertical groove, h,which is to prevent backwater.

The center board D has at its forward pivoted end a vertical slot, '1for the pivot-bolt it. This allows the center-board to be raised andlowered, and also affords it more freedom to play or move sidewise. Thecenter-board is suspended by two ropes, Z Z, one at each end, which aresecured to a board, 111., on top of the The rope Z at the free endof'the centerboard has been used before in this class of center-boards;but the rope Z at the pivoted end is believed to be new, and incombination with the vertical slott' for the pivot-bolt serves torelieve the latter-of the weight of the board, and by avoiding orlessening the friction between the said board and bolt enables thepivoted end of the board to be easily moved from one side of the well tothe other.

The center-board may have blocks a attached on each side near the top.These come in contact with the side of the well and serve to prevent theboard from leaning as much as it would do without them.

By shifting the forward end of the centerboard D sidewise, the well 0being broad to admit of this movement, the said board will be oblique tothe keel-line, and the vessel can be made to run much closer to thewind. In other words, when the vessel is moving on a tack, thecenter-board,being set oblique-that is, to the windward side-willcounteract the tendencyof the wind to force the vessel to the leeward,and thus the vessel will hold better on her course.

The center-board may be placed directly fore and aft on a line with thekeel b. To retain it in this position, two pendent parallel bars, 0, areemployed. These bars are united at the top, and the two comprise aninverted- U-shaped bar. This U-shaped bar 0 hangs from the top board, m,and the two pendent ends take astride of the center-board, as shown inFig. 4, and retain it in the center position.

It will be understood the proportion or size of the parts are mattersofjudgment, and may be determined by the boat-builder.

The center-board is sharp-pointed,or thinner at forward end than atafter end.

Having described my invention, I claim A sailing-vessel having acenter-board well the front portion of which is provided with a verticalgroove, h, at its rear face, and a sliding U-shaped bar detachablysecured to the top board, m, and astride the center-board to retain thesame in a vertical position.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDMUND J. DAVY.

Witnesses:

GEo. E. BALLARD, MARY W. FLETCHER.

